JÉRÉMY ROY
The French FDJ rider looks back on the races and riders that helped shape him
had real attacking temperament when I rode with the juniors and as a
young amateur rider. Even when I started with the pros, I attacked often. I had more liberty and fewer responsibilities. Being out front gives me pleasure and confidence. Sometimes when you are riding in the bunch you are only waiting to be dropped. I’ve lost that feeling a bit because I’m a team rider now. It’s a pity.
I rode more for myself in the first half
of my career. Since then, I’ve committed to ride for leaders like Thibaut Pinot and Arnaud Démare. I have less freedom. I became a team rider, I wasn’t born one. My first win was in 2009, at Paris-Nice. To win a stage in a big race like that ahead of Tony Martin and Thomas Voeckler, who were in the break with me, was satisfying. The day before I’d been dropped and came in last place. The team told me to relax and recuperate, but I felt better and joined an attack. Voeckler and Martin dropped me on a big climb but they waited for me because it was better to be three than two. Voeckler was most worried about Martin, and Martin about Voeckler. I went with 6km to go and they didn’t catch me.
I don’t consider myself to be a good
rider. These days I see the finish line less and less in the first group. When you work for others you don’t stay at the front but it doesn’t bother me to do the work. I’d like riders to be listened to more. We’re pushed from pillar to post. We need stricter rules on races, especially in dangerous spots. Put barriers in the right places, for example. It’s not complicated. I like racing in Switzerland the best. The landscape is beautiful, the roads are smooth and they make good stage races. I really appreciate that country as a cyclist.
My best race ever was the 2011 Tour de
France. People remember the Lourdes stage, though they don’t always recall the details. They think I was second. They remember that I was caught and passed by Hushovd, but not that David Moncoutié also came past me at the end.
I won the most aggressive rider award in
the 2011 Tour. I don’t have many wins – only four, so to climb on the ChampsÉlysées podium was a big deal for me.
In spite of everything, Lourdes is a good
memory. It was a childhood dream to be away, alone, in a mountain stage of the Tour. There is the frustration of losing the win, but I have no regrets – I gave it everything. I was very emotional after the finish and to receive the cheers of the crowd on the podium gave me shivers.
The first question when people find out I’m a cyclist is, have you ridden the Tour
de France? It’s a beautiful, demanding race, but it’s still hard. Four weeks away from home is a long time for everybody. Sometimes they suggest cutting the Giro or Vuelta to two weeks. I would not be against that.
I never changed teams. I knew what I had here. I don’t think it would necessarily be better elsewhere. From talking to other riders in other teams, they have the same worries and problems. The only time I rode Paris-Roubaix, I got dropped on the first cobbled sector. I came back. Got dropped again. And so on. I got to the finish 40 minutes after the winner. My biggest disappointment was that I didn’t get to use the showers because the team bus needed to leave.
The doping made me question my own
ability to be a professional cyclist. You turn pro to win races then you find out that a lot were cheating. I lost a lot of confidence. I’m still a bit angry with those who cheated. It’s too easy to let them get away with it.